Info Session Monday 12/12, 6-8pm at Libertalia

Been interested in the Free School and not sure how to get involved?  Like the sound of it but not really sure what's its all about?  Want to teach or learn something but not sure how?

The Free School is having an Info Session on December 12th, from 6 to 8 at Libertalia!  All are welcome, and no knowledge of education, Free Schools, or the Providence Free School is required.  At this Info Session, we'll be talking about:
- what participatory education means
- how to propose a course and how the Free School can help with refining course ideas
- how to get involved with organizing

There will be Free School organizers and couple of past teachers and participants on hand to answer questions!   We also want to hear what you have to say and what you want to happen at the Free School!

SAT Class and Homemade Cleaners still open!

SAT Prep & Skills and Beyond 'Bed, Bath & Beyond' are still welcoming participants!  If you couldn't make the first meetings of each class, you're still more than welcome to check them out this week.

SAT Prep & Skills will have an open practice test this Saturday at 12:30 at Knight Memorial Library.  Students of all skill levels are welcome to come and take a practice test that will help them decide how best to improve their own skills!  Email tarnopol@cox.net with questions.

Beyond 'Bed, Bath and Beyond' will have another workshop on making homemade cleaners this Thursday at 6:30 in Atlantic Mills Room 413.   Email priscilla.carrion@gmail.com with questions.

SAT Prep & Skills Class, starting 11/5

We have a new SAT Prep class starting up!  The SAT is unpleasant, but scoring well can be important and the basic reasoning skills that it tests can be useful in other ways.  SAT prep classes can be quite pricey, so this one is unique  

SAT Prep, taught by Doug Tarnopol

Saturdays 12:30-2:30, 11/5-1/21 (aiming for the 1/28 SAT date)

Knight Memorial Library (275 Elmwood Avenue)

Contact: tarnopol@cox.net

Suggested materials: a copy of the official SAT prep book (available for <$15)

This class will cover the basic math, reading, and writing skills required to do well on the SAT, and will go over the way the test is organized and what it looks at.  Students of all skill levels are welcome!

Portuguese class meeting at 8 tonight in Libertalia

Due to scheduling issues, the Portuguese for RI class has to meet at 8 tonight not 7.  It also has to meet at Libertalia, which is right next door to jobs with justice.  Thanks for your patience!  The Portuguese class will have a new permanent time and place next week!

New Class! Beyond Bed Bath and Beyond (11/3)

Course Title: Beyond Bed Bath and Beyond

When: Thursdays 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 6:30-8pm

Where: Atlantic Mills (118 Manton Avenue), Room 413

with Kristen Aber and Priscilla Carrion

Contact: priscilla.carrion@gmail.com

From the facilitators: This course will introduce simple cleaning techniques to create a healthier home, with out spending a lot of money on big brand “germ killing” products. We will go over chemical cleaners and the harmful effects they can have, and non-toxic cleaning solutions and the benefits of switching to homemade supplies. We will provide recipes of basic cleaning products and demo a few in class. Participants are welcome to come and gain knowledge to make their own household cleaners beyond the class. We also encourage people to come with a few basic supplies if they can, to make cleaners in class. Email Priscilla for details on what those supplies would be.

Intro Guitar Class starting 10/25

We're happy to announce that Paul P. will be leading an Intro to Guitar class starting 10/25!  The class is designed to help students with little or no guitar experience learn the basics of how to make music with guitars.  More info below:

Intro to Guitar, led by Paul P.

Schedule: Tuesdays from 6 to 7, starting 10/25 and going til mid/late December.

Location: Room 413 in Atlantic Mills (118 Manton Avenue).  Enter the mill through the door in the left tower, go into the 4th floor, and make a left where the main hallways intersect.     

Teacher Contact: Email pauldparadis@gmail.com with questions

From the teacher: Guitar lessons for beginners. If you've never played but wanted to, this class will get you up and running. Topics covered will include the names of the parts of a guitar, tuning, using the pick, 1st position and open chords.  

Materials needed: Paul can't provide spare instruments, so participants in the class will have to provide their own guitars and picks.   Students might also want a folder for handouts. 

Portuguese Class starting 10/13

We're happy to announce that a "Portuguese for Rhode Island Class" is starting next week!  Taught by Ben L,  this class will introduce students to the Portuguese language and Portuguese/Kriolu speaking communities of Providence.  More info below!

Portuguese for Rhode Island, taught by Ben L

Schedule & Location: Thursdays 7-9 at Jobs with Justice (280 Broadway, 2nd floor on the right)

First class 10/13, going until mid-December

Teacher Contact: leggab@gmail.com

From the Teacher:

This course will be an introduction to Portuguese. Portuguese is one of the most important languages used in the Providence area, and this class will offer people the chance to learn basic Portuguese and also expose them to the various Portuguese (and Kriolu) speaking communities of the area. Basic language skills will be covered, with further course material developed in accordance to students' needs and interests. In addition, a focus will be given to the Azorean, Brazilian and Cape Verdean communities in the area as well as a general introduction to those cultures (history, music, food, cuisine). Students will not need materials, but I will be willing to recommend books for purchase. This class will focus on basic language skills and culture, but students with more specific language needs are encouraged to let me know so that I can try to help them. I speak and teach Brazilian Portuguese, but will be willing to teach students Azorean variants as well as these are more useful in the Portuguese-speaking community in the region. I do not speak Kriolu BUT am willing to do some very introductory discussions of it as a language and help people to get into the right direction if that is their primary interest.

Botanical Medicine and Witch Craft!

Borage from Project Gutenberg EBook
of Culinary Herbs, via Wikimedia

We're excited to have three classes up and running! Tonight, Monday September 19th, Chanelle's class on Botanical Medicine begins, meeting from 7:30 to 9:30pm at Libertalia. If you'd like more information or if you have any questions, you can contact Chanelle at cabbiee@gmail.com.


Another event, being hosted by Free School allies and friends this Wednesday, 9/21, at Witch Club: WITCH CRAFT! with Jenine.

This Wednesday night starting at 8 PM, come to Witch Club for craft night. Bring a project or your sketchbook to draw in. I'll do a skillshare on how to make pom poms! If you bring a snack, it'll be appreciated.

Come hang out because it's so nice to make things together!

You can contact Jenine for directions or other information!

September-October calendar published!

Our first calendar/brochure is published! Check out the embedded document below, or if that doesn't work, try downloading the PDF or viewing it directly at GoogleDocs or Scribd.

(Updates coming soon as more classes get added.)
  Providence Free School September-October 2011 calendar

Info on Upcoming Classes!

The Free School is incredibly excited to announce that its first three classes will be starting soon! More information on the classes is below, and anyone who's interested should just show up at the first class or contact the teacher/facilitator. All three of these classes will be starting between the 17th and the 25th, and all three will be meeting at Libertalia.

One clarifying note: while these are the first three classes to get started, proposals are always welcome, and more classes will be probably be starting up in October and November.

1) Botanical Medicine, taught by Chanelle Bergeron

Mondays 7:30pm-9:30pm (1st class 9/19)

No experience required!

Contact cabbiee@gmail.com with questions.

From the teacher: I want to get the word out to people who are looking to learn about the plants around them & what these wonderful plants have to offer us, or are looking for a way to experience an alternative form of medicine, gain resources, & reclaim some of their own personal power when it comes to medicine & taking care of themselves.

The class would be focused around western, traditional, & intuitive botanical medicine: history & folklore/basics of botanical structure/a touch of ayurveda/practical & first aid applications/materia medica/herbal energetics/medicine making/wildcrafting ethics/some physiology/male & female reproductive health/etc."

2) Popular Programming, taught by Daniel Patterson

Saturdays 1pm-3 (1st Class 9/17)

No experience required!

Contact dbp@riseup.net with questions.

From the teacher: The motivation of this class is to explore language and communication as it connects to computer programming. Our lives are surrounded by and dominated by the function of computers, yet most people think that the way they work is not something they could understand. The intention of this class is to show that this is not the case, through an exploratory process inspired by the work of Paulo Freire.

It is aimed at people who have no experience programming. People with experience are of course welcome, but if you are looking for a class on “how to build a website” or “learning X programming language”, you’ll probably be disappointed. The intention of this class is to develop the tools and understanding to dissect the technological society that we live in, and build alternatives if you want to. It’s an experimental class (what isn’t?), and shouldn’t be like any other “programming” class (or at least any I’ve heard of).

More info on the class at popprog.tumblr.com.

3) Why Revolution, facilitated by Oi

Sundays 7:30pm-9:30 (1st Class 9/18)

No experience required!

Contact mysticetoi@gmail.com with questions.

From the facilitator: A participant-led discussion group focused on the roots of revolution, what revolution looks like today, and where revolutionary movement is headed. The discussion group will explore the intricacies of what exactly a/the revolution is and why people are part of it. Since I would like this class to be participant lead, I really have no idea where the discussion will go.

I hope to bring into the group the use of essays, letters, news sources, interviews, books, maps, documentaries and other mediums that help us understand our socio-economic reality.

Next Meeting Weds. 9/7, 6:30, Libertalia

Our next organizational meeting will be Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 at Libertalia (280 Broadway).

If you're hoping to propose a class, but would like some feedback or discussion to help build your proposal, come right at the start of the meeting for an open conversation on proposals. After this, we'll talk about other  proposals that have come in, and then we'll be working on the logistics of getting classes publicized and started in the next week! As always, look through last meetings' notes to get an idea of what's going on.

The Providence Free School is YOU! (But what does that really mean?)

The Providence Free School is YOU! But what does that really mean?

We are made up of the people who participate in classes, workshops, and skillshares here. Behind the scenes, a loose, informal organizing group with minimal authority has been meeting to create a vision, coordinate logistics and publicity, and push things forward. Everyone is welcome to be a part of this effort in any way — and we're excited to have you on board in any way.

We use 2 different email lists at the Providence Free School. Here's how it works:

To stay informed of all free school classes, meetings, fundraisers, and general updates, you can join our announcement email list (aka our "announce listserv"). You'll receive a small number of email updates, sent out to a list of people from the top-down only (a necessary evil / hierarchy). Joining this list is easy: just head on over to https://lists.riseup.net/www/subscribe/provfreeschool-announce , enter your email address, click "Submit," and click the confirmation link in your inbox.

To get involved with the informal organizing group, you have to do two things: (1) start coming to the organizing meetings, and (2) join our organizing email list (aka "organize listserv"). This is a higher-volume discussion list, which all members can use to reply to all other members. To subscribe to this group, go to https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/provfreeschool-organize to read the list's guidelines, and then click "Subscribe" and follow the same confirmation instructions above.

Course proposal feedback & organizing meeting - Wednesday at 6:30!

This Wednesday, August 31, at 6:30 pm at Libertalia (280 Broadway), we're holding our next organizing meeting. Everyone is welcome! Please look through the past few meetings' notes, linked on the left, if you haven't been at those meetings.

We'll start off with an open session for listening to your ideas for classes, and providing constructive feedback — so if you'd like to teach or collaboratively study something, but you haven't figured out all the details, come with your ideas and outlines and let's talk it over!

Space exploration mission, Tuesday 8/23 at noon

Some of us are pioneering a space exploration mission, this coming Tuesday afternoon, to introduce the Providence Free School to potential allied community organizations and talk about the possibility of holding Free School classes in their spaces.

Want to come along? We're meeting at Libertalia (280 Broadway) at noon to make final plans, with the actual exploration going from 1pm until 5 or so. Contact us for more information, or just drop by!

Next organizing meeting: Saturday 8/20 at 1pm

Please join us Saturday, August 20, at 1pm at Libertalia for the next free school organizing meeting! Everyone is welcome to attend, but we ask that if you have not attended previous planning meetings, please review the notes from those meetings (linked in the left column).

this comes up when you google "work party"

This should be a short, loosely structured meeting, with check-ins on progress and divvying up of tasks + responsibilities. September is quickly approaching — let's make it happen!

After this, we'll have a casual "work party" !! ( work = fun !!??? )

If you have a laptop, consider bringing it so we can work on things together & individually. Please also think of other tasks that can be done off the computer — designing brochures & flyers on paper, maybe? — and bring paper/markers/materials needed.

Potluck-style snacking is encouraged.
Contact us with questions!

8/4 meeting notes posted; Teachers' Info Session Monday 8/15

The Free School is coming closer and closer to being a reality! Notes from the last meeting are here.

The next step is to figure out what classes will be available this fall, and so we're excited to welcome teachers of all sorts to our Teacher Info Session on Monday 8/15 at 7pm at Libertalia (280 Broadway, 2nd floor)! Email providence@freeskool.org or call 917 608 3417 for more information.

You may be interested in teaching/facilitating a class at the Free School if:

- you have a skill you want to share with others

- you're interested in exploring a topic in a study group with others

- you've ever been told "you should teach a class on this!"

- you've ever thought "I should teach a class on this!"

- you've ever said "someone should really teach a class on this!"

No professional credentials needed, just a willingness to share knowledge in an open, participatory format.

Whether you have a fully developed course syllabus or just a shadow of an idea for a class, join us at the info session. We'll also be working on course development for those interested, so bring your thoughts and we can see how they can become a class!

And lastly: You don't have to teach a class if you come to this info session, and you don't need to come to this info session to teach a class. But it will definitely be helpful and informative!

Past meeting notes posted. Next meeting 8/4.

building a new world

We've held two planning meetings in the past several days, and are extremely excited about the amount of energy people are putting into this project and the amount of progress that we've made. If you'd like to read about what's been happening at these meetings, please check out the notes!

• Notes from 7/23 planning meeting 
• Notes from 7/28 planning meeting

Our next meeting will be this Thursday, August 4th, at 6:30pm, at Andrew & John's apartment on Carpenter St. (Near the corner of Carpenter & Battey, and just around the block from Libertalia — call 518-308-8281 or email us for the address!)

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at providence@freeskool.org.

the Providence Free School is coming soon...

… but you can already get involved!

We’re actively and openly building the framework to support the new Providence Free School, and we’d love for you to be involved! Our next meeting is this Thursday at 5:30pm, at John & Andrew’s house on Carpenter St. in Providence. Please call or text 518-308-8281 or send an email to libertalia401@gmail.com for the exact address if you’d like to attend.

We’ll soon have a more developed, more informational website, along with an email announcement list and our own email address. Stay tuned!

If you have questions or comments, ideas or critiques, hopes or dreams, email us at libertalia401@gmail.com or come to the meeting. Hope to see you soon!